Earplug training device and earplug dispensing mechanism having the same

Abstract

An earplug training device is provided, including a thin sheet portion having a front surface and an opposing rear surface, and a substantially circular hole formed in the thin sheet portion, said hole traversing through the sheet portion from the front surface to the rear surface, where the substantially circular hole enables a user to practice roll down preparation of the earplug. An earplug dispenser including an earplug training device and a method of dispensing earplugs, are further provided.

1 . An earplug training device, comprising: 
 a thin sheet portion having a front surface and an opposing rear surface; and    a substantially circular hole formed in the thin sheet portion, said hole traversing through the sheet portion from the front surface to the rear surface;    wherein the substantially circular hole enables a user to practice roll down preparation of the earplug.    
     
     
         2 . The earplug training device of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially circular hole includes a diameter less than or equal to a preferred diameter of the earplug for insertion into an earcanal.  
     
     
         3 . The earplug training device of  claim 2 , wherein the diameter of the substantially circular hole is in the range of approximately 0.20 inch to 0.30 inch.  
     
     
         4 . The earplug training device of  claim 3 , wherein the diameter of the substantially circular hole is approximately 0.26 inches.  
     
     
         5 . The earplug training device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second substantially circular hole formed through the thin sheet portion proximate to the first substantially circular hole, wherein the second hole includes a diameter less than the diameter of the first hole, and wherein the diameter of the second hole comprises a more preferred diameter of the earplug for insertion into the earcanal.  
     
     
         6 . The earplug training device of  claim 5 , wherein the diameter of the second substantially circular hole is in the range of approximately 0.18 inches to 0.22 inches.  
     
     
         7 . The earplug training device of  claim 9 , wherein the diameter of the substantially circular hole is approximately 0.20 inches.  
     
     
         8 . The earplug training device of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of additional substantially circular holes disposed proximate the first and second holes, the additional holes having serially decreasing diameters, the largest of which includes a diameter less than the diameter of the first hole;    wherein the serially decreasing diameters of the additional holes comprise diameters corresponding to serially increasing preferred diameters of the earplug for insertion into the earcanal.    
     
     
         9 . The earplug training device of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially circular hole is one of a first plurality of substantially circular holes of serially decreasing diameters, and wherein the device further comprises a second plurality of substantially circular holes of serially decreasing diameters, wherein the first plurality of holes correspond to preferred diameters of the earplug for facilitating insertion of the earplug into an earcanal and the second plurality of holes correspond to earcanal sizes.  
     
     
         10 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a manually interactive portion at which a user may practice preparing the earplug for earcanal insertion, the substantially circular hole being located at the manually interactive portion.  
     
     
         11 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein said practice comprises the user manually compressing the earplug to a reduced diameter and attempting to insert the compressed earplug into the substantially circular hole.  
     
     
         12 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein said manually interactive portion further comprises an interface for determining whether the earplug is suitable for insertion into an earcanal of a particular size.  
     
     
         13 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein said determining comprises the user manually compressing the earplug to a reduced diameter, attempting to insert the compressed earplug into the substantially circular hole, allowing the inserted compressed earplug to decompress in the hole, and checking a fit of the earplug in the hole.  
     
     
         14 . An earplug training device, comprising: 
 a thin sheet portion;    a manually interactive portion disposed on the thin sheet portion;    wherein the manually interactive portion provides a user with hands on instruction and/or training in a use of the earplug comprising at least one of: preparing the earplugs for insertion into an earcanal; inserting the earplugs into the earcanal; checking a sufficiency of a fit of the inserted earplugs; and determining whether the earplugs are suitable for insertion into an earcanal of a particular size.    
     
     
         15 . An earplug dispenser, comprising: 
 a container for storing and dispensing earplugs; and    a substantially circular hole formed in an outer surface of the container; wherein the substantially circular hole enables a user to practice roll down preparation of an earplug.    
     
     
         16 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the container comprises an access portion formed at the outer surface of the container for allowing dispensing of the earplugs.  
     
     
         17 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 16 , wherein the access portion comprises a hole formed through the outer surface and a door disposed proximate the hole and capable of being placed in an open position, wherein the interior of the container is accessible through the hole, and a closed position, wherein the access to the interior is prohibited.  
     
     
         18 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 15 , further comprising a manually interactive portion disposed at the outer surface of the container for providing the user hands on instruction and/or training in a use of the earplugs, the substantially circular hole being located at the manually interactive portion.  
     
     
         19 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the substantially circular hole includes a diameter less than or equal to a preferred diameter of the earplugs for insertion into an earcanal.  
     
     
         20 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein the diameter of the substantially circular hole is in the range of approximately 0.20 inch to 0.30 inch.  
     
     
         21 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 20 , wherein the diameter of the substantially circular hole is approximately 0.26 inches.  
     
     
         22 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 19 , further comprising a second substantially circular hole formed in the outer surface of the container proximate to the first hole, wherein the second hole includes a diameter less than the diameter of the first hole, and wherein the diameter of the second hole comprises a more preferred diameter of the earplugs for insertion into the earcanal.  
     
     
         23 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 22 , wherein the diameter of the second substantially circular hole is in the range of approximately 0.18 inches to 0.22 inches.  
     
     
         24 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 23 , wherein the diameter of the substantially circular hole is approximately 0.20 inches.  
     
     
         25 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of additional substantially circular holes disposed proximate the first and second holes, the additional plurality of holes having serially decreasing diameters, the largest of which includes a diameter less than the diameter of the first hole;    wherein the serially decreasing diameters of the additional plurality of holes comprise diameters corresponding to serially increasing preferred diameters of the earplugs for insertion into the earcanal.    
     
     
         26 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the substantially circular hole comprises a cavity set into the outer surface comprising substantially cylindrical walls which extend into an interior of the container and a stop surface disposed transverse to the cylindrical walls closing an end of the cavity.  
     
     
         27 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 18 , wherein the manually interactive portion is disposed at the outer surface and comprises a first plurality of substantially circular holes of serially decreasing diameters and a second plurality of substantially circular holes of serially decreasing diameters, wherein the first plurality of holes correspond to preferred diameters of the earplugs for facilitating insertion of the earplug into an earcanal and the second plurality of holes correspond to earcanal sizes.  
     
     
         28 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein said substantially circular hole comprises an interface at which a user may practice preparing the earplugs for earcanal insertion.  
     
     
         29 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 28 , wherein said practice comprises the user attaining an earplug from the container and manually compressing the earplug to a reduced diameter and attempting to insert the compressed earplug into the substantially circular hole.  
     
     
         30 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 18 , wherein said manually interactive portion comprises an interface for determining whether the earplugs suitable for insertion into an earcanal of a particular size.  
     
     
         31 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 30 , wherein said determining comprises the user manually compressing one of the earplugs to a reduced diameter, attempting to insert the compressed earplug into a second substantially circular hole formed in an outer surface of the container at the manually interactive portion, allowing the inserted compressed earplug to decompress in the hole, and checking a fit of the earplug in the hole.  
     
     
         32 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 18 , wherein the use of the earplugs comprises at least one of: preparing the earplugs for insertion into an earcanal; inserting the earplugs into the earcanal; checking a sufficiency of a fit of the inserted earplugs; and determining whether the earplugs are suitable for insertion into an earcanal of a particular size.  
     
     
         33 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the container comprises a plurality of separate compartments and a corresponding plurality of access portions for allowing access to interiors of the compartments, and wherein the earplugs comprise a plurality of distinct types of earplugs, each distinct type of earplugs being stored separately in the separate compartments.  
     
     
         34 . An earplug dispenser, comprising: 
 a container for storing and dispensing earplugs;    a manually interactive portion disposed at an outer surface of the container; wherein the manually interactive portion provides a user with hands-on instruction and/or training in a use of the earplugs comprising at least one of: preparing the earplugs for insertion into an earcanal, inserting the earplugs into the earcanal, checking a sufficiency of a fit of the inserted earplugs, and determining whether the earplugs are suitable for insertion into an earcanal of a particular size.    
     
     
         35 . The earplug dispenser of  claim 34 , further comprising an access portion formed in an outer surface of the container for enabling the user to access the earplugs, wherein the manually interactive portion comprises a plurality of holes having serially decreasing diameters formed in the outer surface of the container, a largest of the diameters corresponding to a preferred diameter of the earplugs for facilitating insertion thereof into an earcanal.  
     
     
         36 . A method of dispensing earplugs, comprising: 
 providing the earplugs at an interior of a container;    allowing a user to access the earplugs at the interior; and    providing the user with hands-on instruction and/or training in a use of the earplugs at a manually interactive portion disposed at the container.    
     
     
         37 . The method of dispensing earplugs of  claim 36 , wherein said use of the earplugs comprises at least one of preparing the earplugs for insertion into an earcanal, inserting the earplugs into the earcanal, checking the sufficiency of a fit of the inserted earplugs, and determining whether the earplugs are suitable for insertion into an earcanal of a particular size.  
     
     
         38 . The method of dispensing earplugs of  claim 36 , wherein said providing the user with hands-on instruction and/or training comprises the user practicing preparing one of the earplugs for insertion into an earcanal including manually compressing the earplug and attempting to insert the compressed earplug into a hole formed in an outer surface of the container at the manually interactive portion.